CONFIDENTIALITY
The counseling relationship is confidential, which
means your counselor will not discuss or release any information regarding
your case without your written consent. The exceptions to this are
as follows:
State
law and professional ethical standards allow for the following:
·
If there is a clear and imminent danger that you may
harm yourself or others.
·
If a record is court ordered by a proper authority.
·
If there is suspected or confirmed abuse of children
or vulnerable adults.
Counseling
Services policy allows for the following:
·
Sharing of counseling session attendance with
University administrators and/or faculty, when the sharing of this
information is consistent with serving the best interest of the
client. Counselors will use their discretion and use this privilege
sparingly.
·
Students who are mandated or on contract due to
discipline, drug/alcohol violations, academic, or medical reasons agree
to have session attendance and recommendations released to a designated
University official or outside medical professional.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Counseling is most effective when the counselor and
client are equally invested in the change process.
·
The
CLIENT accepts responsibility for the following:
·
Being open and honest about your thoughts, feelings,
and behaviors.
·
Working during and between sessions; reflecting on session
content and completing homework are important parts of the counseling
process.
·
Providing information about past/ present concerns
(psychological and physiological) including medications,
hospitalizations, and treatment.
·
Keeping scheduled appointments punctually and
regularly.
The COUNSELOR
accepts responsibility for the following:
·
Treating clients with care, respect, and dignity.
·
Being open and honest about treatment techniques,
goals, and procedures.
·
Seeking consultation with other members of the
counseling staff.
·
Referring or terminating a client when necessary and
appropriate, only after discussing the reasons with the client.
RECORDS
Counseling staff members are required by law to
maintain professional documentation of counseling sessions. Records
are maintained in a secure location with only authorized staff having
access. Records cannot be released outside the office without your
written consent. All records are private and confidential, and are not
part of your academic transcript. Outside agencies and University
personnel will not have access to your counseling records without your
written consent. You have a right to have a copy of your
file. To obtain one, schedule an appointment with a counselor or
Director of Counseling Services to discuss your request and review the
contents of the file. You must submit a written request at the time
of the appointment and allow 1-3 days for the copy to be made.
COUNSELOR TRAINING
The counselors at Counseling Services have a broad range of training and
experience which allows them to provide counseling using a variety of
counseling techniques. You have the right to know about your
counselor’s education, training, and specialty areas. The professional staff are either licensed and/or certified
counselors. We encourage you to talk to your counselor about
his/her background. If you choose, you may request a specific
counselor.
Graduate students in
counseling psychology complete one to two semesters of internship
training in Counseling Services and are provided supervision by the
professional counseling staff. As part of professional development,
the staff meets once a week for supervision and consultation on current
cases. All information shared at the meetings is confidential.
COUNSELING RISK/BENEFIT
Choosing to process your interpersonal concerns
brings with it certain emotional risks. Processing hidden feelings
and thoughts may cause emotional discomfort and painful feelings. This is
a necessary step in processing your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
Trying to decide what
it is that you “need to do” and “need to stop doing” in order to manage
your life can be challenging and evoke feelings of fear and
anxiety. Changing behaviors, thoughts and feelings can be
disruptive to relationships with family, significant others, and
friends. Others may challenge you to stay the same while you are
investing in changing the way you live. The counselor-client
relationship may evoke positive and negative emotions. You are
encouraged to discuss your feelings about the counseling relationship
with your counselor.
Whatever the risk, you
need to decide if the benefit of exploring your concerns outweighs the
risk. Most students who decide to accept the risks of counseling
find that it is helpful and that the feelings generated by the counseling
process are ones that need to be addressed in order to discover healthier
ways to deal with their concerns.
It can be easy to quit
when the emotions intensify and you are challenged to be different, but
we encourage you to stick with the counseling process even though it is
difficult. Working through the difficult times can help you to
develop new ways of dealing with old concerns.
You have the right to
refuse or follow any recommendations made by the counselor, except in
emergency situations, or if you are on a contract specified by Student
Living, a physician, or Dean. Refusal in these cases may prompt
consequences based on the nature of the contract.
APPOINTMENTS
All appointments are scheduled by the receptionist at
the front desk (871-7680). Counseling sessions run 50
minutes. If for any reason you are late, the session will end at
the scheduled time. To cancel/reschedule an
appointment please call at least 24 hours in advance.
GRIEVANCES
We encourage you to discuss any concerns you have
with your counselor. If for any reason you are dissatisfied with
the service, concerned that your counselor is unwilling to listen or respond,
or if you believe you have been treated unethically, you may discuss it
with your counselor, or Dr. Steve Large, Director of Counseling Services,
or Ward McCracken, Dean of Student Development.
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